Zarif Hits Back at Tillerson for Iran Regime Change Comments

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif derided as “delusional” the US rhetoric of regime change in Iran, recommending his American counterpart to worry more about saving the US regime than pushing for a change in Iran.

“Before reverting to unlawful & delusional regime-change policy towards Iran, US Administration should study and learn from history,” Zarif said on his official twitter account on Friday, following US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comments that Washington’s new policy towards Iran includes a regime change.

“The 1953 coup debacle & the 1979 Revolution proved that Iranian people are impervious to outside attempts to decide their destiny,” Zarif added.

“After decades of failed regime change & sanctions, US had to apologize for '53 coup, and acknowledge diplomacy as the only option,” he noted.

“For their own sake, US officials should worry more about saving their own regime than changing Iran’s, where 75% of people just voted,” Zarif added, referring to the May 19 presidential election in Iran with a turnout of more than 41 million voters.

In comments at the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Tillerson had announced that US policy is driven by relying on “elements inside of Iran” to bring about “peaceful transition of that government.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry later slammed his remarks as “meddlesome” and being “in clear breach of rules of customary international law.”